Across the United States, people are fighting to keep the institution of marriage separate from the controls of religious tradition. Yet, even in places that have largely shed religious requirements and embraced same-sex marriage, the fight for full marriage equality has not been won.

The good news for nonbelievers is that, for the first time ever, more than half the American population would vote for a qualified, open atheist for president. A recent Gallup poll shows that 54 percent of Americans would not consider a candidate’s atheism to be a disqualification for holding the nation's highest office.

Political parties exist to help provide a framework for policy advocacy and subsequent development of legislation. Many Americans, whether Libertarian, Republican, Democrat, Green or any other party affiliation likely believe that their respective party’s platform represents their views and they, in turn, can approach friends, relatives, and legislators to advocate for those views.

This week, in “News That Sounds Like an Onion Article,” The Scotsman reports that a publicly funded Christian school in Louisiana uses a biology textbook that states that the Loch Ness monster is a real-life evolution-debunking plesiosau

Now more than ever, the United States needs to change its laws surrounding religious subsidies. Last year, the state of Florida cut over $1.3 billion from the budget meant for public schools as well as $1.1 billion for police and firefighter pensions.

In March 2009, 17-year-old Zachery Swezey complained to his parents that he didn’t feel well. His parents believed he had the flu. Zachery suffered fevers and vomiting for days as his condition worsened. Finally, when he could no longer walk to the bathroom, Greg and JaLea Swezey called church elders to come over and anoint their son with olive oil.

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